Don't Leave Me
by LemonDropAnyone
Summary: Spoilers for Wannabe In The Weeds. A continuation of Brennan's reaction to Booth being shot.
1. 1

"No

"_No! No, come on Booth! Come on!"_

It would forever be engraved in her mind. The feel of his blood would be remembered on her hands for years to come. The ashen color of his skin would remain in the forefront of her thoughts.

"_You can't do this Booth, not now! Come on! You can't leave me!"_

In the faint background, she could hear Hodgins yell at Zach to call for 9-1-1. She could hear Angela's sobs and the chaotic screams around her from the others who had been enjoying their evening before this.

"_Think Temperance. Think! Where did the bullet hit!"_

She lifted her hands off of his chest to assess what she needed to be doing, but immediately had to put them back on to stop even more blood loss. She couldn't look at his face. His eyes were too dull. They were nothing like the sparking, amused brown eyes she always associated with her partner. No. These were monotonous, full of pain and quickly fading.

"_Come on Booth! Say something! Please. Say anything!"_

There was a rasp of breath that came from her partner's open mouth, but it was quickly followed by a trickle of blood. The fear that ran through her body would never be forgotten.

"_Ma'am, we'll need you to step back."_

She felt the comforting pull of Angela. Getting up, she stumbled a tiny bit backwards. The paramedics surrounded Booth and soon, but not soon enough to her liking, he was on a stretcher. It only took her two seconds before she was off like a shot, following them.

"_Sweetie!"_

She didn't bother to turn for Angela's call. She didn't think of anything but to get to Booth. She was slightly aware of stepping over Pam Nunan's dead body; the body that she had shot. It didn't register in her mind until after that she had taken a life.

"_Are you family?"_

"_No, but I'm his partner."_

"_We're sorry ma'am, but only kin can be in the ambulance with the patient."_

"_He's FBI. I'm his partner!"_

"_And you're Agent…?"_

"_Brennan."_

"_Get in quickly ma'am; he needs to be at the hospital immediately."_

There wasn't a second's hesitation before she was inside the back of the ambulance. As the doors shut, she saw the worried faces of her team. Then, all she saw was the silver metal of the door.

She was instructed to sit on the bench next to the stretcher. She couldn't comprehend what was happening around her. Medics were shouting orders, IVs were being put into Booth's arm to stabilize his body, and pressure was being applied to his wound to stop excess bleeding.

The ride to the hospital was short. Before she knew it, the doors to the ambulance were being opened and her partner was being carried away on the stretcher. She darted after them, not bothering to accept the hand of one of the medics that had been offered to help her out of the vehicle.

"_We're sorry, but you can't go any further."_

A hand stopped her before she could take another step. She looked into the eyes of one of the medics that had been in the ambulance with her. Pity, sorrow, and determination were what she met. She wasn't happy about being sent to the waiting room, actually, she was downright furious, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Sitting down in one of the waiting room chairs, she let her adrenaline calm down slightly. It was only then that she noticed her hands were shaking and still covered in Booth's blood. The recognition that she had just taken a life hit her.

Standing up slowly, she asked the nurse where the bathroom was. Running was all she could do to get there before she was in a stall and heaving up the contents of her stomach.

Pulling her knees up to her chest and leaning against the wall of the stall, she let the tears come. He had taken that bullet for her. She was the one meant to be on that stretcher, not him.

"_Ma'am, are you okay?"_

She looked up and peered at the face of an older nurse. Her face was kind and gentle, but concerned.

"_I'm okay."_

Doubt was written all over the nurses' face. She disappeared before coming back with a wet washcloth and a cup full of water.

"_What's wrong?"_

The washcloth was being applied to her forehead. The warmth of the water eased the unbelievably large headache that had formed.

"_I'm okay. It's just…my partner was just shot."_

Understanding rose on the nurses' face. She gently helped Brennan up from the floor and asked her to wait there while she went and got her a change of clothes. It was then that Brennan looked down and saw the dark red stains on her shirt and jeans. While the nurse was gone for a few seconds, Brennan cleaned up her mess and washed the blood from her hands.

Only a few minutes later, the nurse was back with blue scrubs and a white t-shirt. Handing them to Brennan gently, she said that she would be waiting outside if she needed anything. Thanking her, Brennan went into one of the stalls to change.

Coming from the bathroom, Brennan asked the nurse where she was to put her clothes. Holding out an open bag, the nurse motioned her to put them in there and said that she would take care of them. Thanking the nurse softly, Brennan returned to one of the waiting room chairs.

It was only a few minutes later when Brennan heard the quick footsteps and quiet shouts of her team.

"_Sweetie! Are you okay?"_

That was the first thing out of Angela's mouth. Brennan wanted to laugh. But the only person who could possibly make her laugh was fighting for his life at that moment. Instead, she bobbed her head once.

"_I'm fine, Ange,"_ she whispered. Angela frowned, but kept quiet and chose to sit next to her best friend and put an arm around her shoulders instead. Brennan heard the others sit in the chairs left.

"_Temperance Brennan?"_

Brennan looked up at the sound of her name and stood immediately when she saw a nurse and a doctor. They motioned for her to come with them.

"_Seeley is in emergency surgery right now. We aren't positive of what the outcome could be at the moment, but it isn't looking good. It states here that he has you down as his medical power of attorney?"_

Brennan nodded.

"_Then we have some paperwork for you to fill out. And ma'am, you may want to start calling family members."_

Biting her lip was all Brennan could do to stop the tears from coming. She distinctly tasted blood as her teeth sunk into her lip, but she didn't care.

"_Did you by any chance grab my purse?"_ Brennan asked Angela. Angela handed Brennan the bag, and sent her a questioning look. Brennan shook her head and motioned for her to wait before she walked away after grabbing her cell phone from her purse.

"_Please, if there really is a God, don't let him die. He can't die, not like this. Not for me."_

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

This could be a one-shot, or it could be a small story. Which one should I go with? It's up to my lovely readers to decide.


	2. 2

"Hello?" said a small voice on the other line. Brennan closed her eyes. What she didn't need was to hear Parker's voice at that moment. It made the whole situation worse. What if the little six-year-old would be without a father in a second's time?

"Hi Parker, its Tempe," Brennan said. Parker's shriek of delight brought a tiny smile to her face.

"Hi Dr. Bones!" Parker gushed. "Guess what I did today at school?"

"What'd you do?" Brennan asked, silently wishing she was asking how his day went under better conditions.

"I made slime in science today! And I made it green because that's your favorite color!" Parker exclaimed. Brennan's heart broke even further.

"Thank you Parker," she said. She sighed. "Hey bub, is your mom there?"

"Yeah, she's right here. Do you want to talk to her?"

"Yeah, thank you," Brennan replied. There was a silence before Rebecca's greeting came over the phone.

"Hi Rebecca," Temperance said.

"What can I do for you this evening?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm calling because…because Seeley was shot this evening," Brennan said quietly. Saying it out loud to another person made it all too real for her.

"W-what?" Rebecca said. "What happened? Is he okay?"

"We were at a club after work and a woman who became obsessed with Booth during our latest case showed up. She pulled a gun out and went to shoot me, but Booth jumped in the way. He…they took him into emergency surgery. The doctor just told me that it's touch and go right now. They don't know how it's going to turn out," Brennan said. Half way through, she couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face once more.

"We'll...be right there. Thank you Temperance," Rebecca said. Brennan said goodbye and hung up her phone. Making her way back to Angela and the rest of the team, Brennan took a deep breath.

"What'd the doctor say?" Cam asked upon Brennan's arrival in the waiting room.

"They said he's in emergency surgery right now. They can't get a feel for how it's going. I was advised to call family members," Brennan said quietly. She looked at her team before looking away.

"Sweetie," Angela said. She stepped forward to hug Brennan, but she backed up a bit and shook her head.

"No, Ange," she said gently. "I can't…I just…need to grasp this." She tried to smile at Angela, but it wasn't happening. She took a deep breath and re-opened her cell phone. Angela, Hodgins, Zach, Cam, and Sweets watched as Brennan called Booth's parents.

Cam couldn't quite grip the situation she was in. The cool and composed woman she was so used to working with was no more. Instead, a scared, compassionate, emotional woman took her place. Had she misunderstood Brennan from the beginning?

"Dr. Bones!" was heard just as Brennan shut her cell phone for the second time that night. Tear tracks were quite visible on her face as she turned around and caught Parker in midair as he launched himself at her.

It wasn't until then that Brennan noticed how much of her life was woven in with Booth's. Ever since her father got off, Booth would have breakfast with her, her father and Russ on Saturday mornings. She frequently called Parker to see how he was. Booth had forced himself into her life without her realizing it. And if he was gone, what would she be without him? What would she do without him?

"Hi Park," she whispered as she hugged him. Brennan kissed his forehead gently and Parker leaned back.

"Is daddy okay?" he whispered. The pieces that her heart had already broken into shattered into even smaller pieces. How could she lie to a little boy so innocent? She couldn't.

"I don't know, sweetie," she whispered back. Tears welled up in Parker's eyes and he put his head on her shoulder as he cried. Brennan's eyes met Rebecca's, who had stopped at the sight of Brennan, who was normally so composed, totally on a whim and holding her sobbing son.

"I want daddy to be okay!" Parker sobbed.

"I know Parker, so do I," Brennan said. Parker's warm tears soaked her shirt a little longer before she leaned back.

"You know what would make him feel better?" Brennan asked. Parker shook his head. Brennan took her thumb and gently wiped his tears from his face.

"If you made him a get well card, that would make him feel a whole lot better," Brennan said. "Why don't you ask that nice nurse over there for some crayons and some paper?" Parker nodded and squirmed out of Temperance's arms. He shyly tugged on the nurse's smock and proceeded to ask for the supplies.

"Temperance?" Rebecca said. Brennan turned from Parker and faced Rebecca. If there was anyone that could understand what she was going through, it was her.

"Hey Rebecca," Brennan said. Rebecca's next action surprised the scientist; she hugged her. Brennan didn't know that they were that close, but she quickly disregarded the thought and hugged her back.

"Have they said anything?" Rebecca asked, stepping back from the embrace.

"Nothing more than what I told you on the phone," Brennan replied.

"What happened to the person who shot him?" Rebecca asked. Brennan avoided eye contact with the blonde.

"I shot her. She's…dead," Brennan said. Rebecca placed a comforting hand on Brennan's shoulder.

"It was the right thing to do," Rebecca said softly.

"I know but…it doesn't make it any better that I killed someone, no matter the situation," Brennan said just as softly.

"Mommy? Dr. Bones?" Parker said. He had come back from the nurse with a box of crayons and white computer paper.

"I got you paper too so you could make a card for daddy," he said. He handed a piece of paper to both his mom and Brennan.

"Thanks Parker," Brennan said gently. Parker took a hold of Brennan's hand and then his mother's and led them over to the chairs against the wall of the hospital so they could make their cards.

It was amazing to Angela to see Brennan act so naturally with Parker. For a woman who didn't want kids, she was good with them. And she understood why she received Rebecca's condolences. She was probably the only one of them that understood on some level what Brennan was going through. Angela knew if it was Hodgins, she would be distraught.

"Dr. Brennan?" a voice said from behind her. Temperance put down the crayon she had in her hand and immediately got up.

"Yes," she said. The doctor motioned for her to follow him a few steps away from everybody.

"Seeley is out of surgery now. He made it through. He flat lined twice during the procedure, but he came back. At the moment he's still out from the anesthetics, and he should be for a while. But it looks like he'll be okay. We'll have to keep him for the next couple of weeks to make sure his body recuperates, but he should be fine."

Brennan visibly relaxed and swallowed the lump in her throat that had formed. Booth was okay…he was going to make it.

"What were his injuries, if I can ask?" Brennan said to the doctor. "Can I see him?

"His right lung was punctured from the bullet, but it was a clean exit wound. A few ribs were broken and he had a concussion," the doctor said. "Only one is permitted to see him at the moment."

"All right, thank you doctor," Brennan said.

"You're welcome. I would advise you and your family to go home and get some rest," he said before walking away.

"Seeley is out of surgery, he's okay. He flat lined twice during the procedure but they brought him back," Brennan said as she rejoined everyone else. "One person can see him tonight."

"You go," was the combined answer. Brennan opened her mouth to argue that Rebecca and Parker should see him first, but stern looks were given to her.

"I should get Parker home. It's late, but we'll be back first thing tomorrow morning," Rebecca said.

"Here Dr. Bones," Parker said, handing her the card he made his father. "Give that to daddy for me."

"I sure will Parker," Brennan said, dropping down to Parker's height. He wrapped his small arms around her in a hug.

"See you tomorrow, okay?" Brennan said. Parker nodded.

"I'll bring you the slime tomorrow," he said. Surprisingly, Brennan laughed. The little boy was exactly like his father. Ignoring the pain he felt, he wanted to make others feel better.

"Okay, I'm looking forward to it," Brennan said. She stood up and looked at Rebecca.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said. Brennan nodded.

"Bye Becca, bye Parker," Temperance said. As Parker walked down the hallway with his hand in his mother's, he called back to Temperance:

"Bye Bones! I love you!"

Tears came to her eyes and before she could answer him back, he was out of sight, around the corner of the hall. She stared at the spot where Parker had been. It was the first time she heard those exact words since she was a little girl.

"Sweetie?" Angela said from behind her. Brennan turned around to face her best friend. She wiped the tears from her face.

"Hey Ange," she said. Angela wrapped her arms around Brennan and that was all it took to make Brennan break down.

"He's okay sweetie," Angela said softly. "He's going to be fine."

"I almost lost him Ange," Brennan said, her head on Angela's shoulder. "What the hell would I have done without him?"

"Shh, don't think about that. Booth is fine. He's alive," Angela said. She held Brennan a little while longer until her breathing calmed down.

"I'm sorry Ange," Brennan said, stepping back from Angela's embrace. She wiped her eyes once more. Angela smiled a little bit.

"That's what best friends are for sweetie," she said. Brennan noticed everyone else had gone to give them some privacy.

"You should get some rest," Brennan said to Angela. Angela nodded.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. Brennan shook her head.

"No I…thanks, Ange," she said.

"You're welcome sweetie," Angela replied. She looked at Brennan once more before she too disappeared down the hallway of the hospital. Composing herself, Brennan walked to the nurses' station.

"May I please have Seeley Booth's room number?" Temperance asked. The nurse looked up.

"Unless you're family or Temperance Brennan, I can't let you go back," the nurse said.

"I'm Temperance Brennan," Brennan said. She got her ID out from her purse and handed it to the nurse.

"Okay. He's in room 419," the nurse said, handing Brennan her ID back. Brennan thanked her before she left for Booth's room.

Four hundred and forty-two green floor tiles later, Brennan arrived and room 419. This was what she had wanted all night. She wanted to see that Booth was alive for herself. She wanted to see his skin back to his normal color and not the pale white it had been. She wanted to see his eyes, the eyes that danced for her. But she couldn't bring herself to open the door. She was afraid that this was all a dream. That she would wake up, and Booth wouldn't be alive. That he would've died when he first flat lined.

_No Brennan, open the door. He's fine, you'll see. _

Hesitating a split second, Brennan finally opened the door slowly. The soft light from the small table in the corner lit the room. The steady beeping of Booth's heart monitor was the only sound that broke the silence. As she walked closer to the bed, Booth's figure came into focus.

Brennan stopped.

That wasn't Booth. It wasn't _her_ Booth.

He wasn't the same. IVs were hooked into him. His skin was insipid. His breathing was slow and mechanic, almost as if the machines were doing it for him. A breathing tube was up his nose. He was almost lifeless. He wasn't her Booth.

Relief washed over her. He was there. He was okay. He wasn't going to leave her. He kept his promise.

But as the relief washed away, anger took over. He was an absolute idiot! He shouldn't have put his life on the line. Not for her. There was no reason. He had a life he needed to continue. He had a son. What would Parker do without him? She wasn't worth risking that.

"You know Seeley, you once told me to put my brain on hold and my heart into overdrive. So I did. But that doesn't mean you have to do that, okay?" Brennan said. She was at the foot of his bed now.

"You didn't have to do that. You _shouldn't_ have done that. I should be the one in the hospital bed, not you. You have something worth living for. You haven't 'sinned' like I have. You have a family, a son. You've got a life that shouldn't be put on hold for me. I'm not worth it."

"And as much as I've tried to keep myself closed off, you've come in almost unannounced. You've forced yourself into my life, into my heart. And I like it. What would I have done if you had gotten killed, huh? What would I be without you?" By now, Brennan was crying again. She had moved from the foot of Booth's bed to the side. Her hand reached down and held his. They were cold to the touch.

_"Don't leave me Booth. Please, don't leave me."_

(TBC)

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Can I just say wow? I mean, 36 reviews in one chapter. That was amazing. I opened my inbox to my e-mail and I was like whoa. Thank you!

And since the majority, actually scratch that, ALL of you reviewers voted for a small story, here you are! I'm putting this around 5 chapters at the most.

Thanks once again. It's greatly appreciated!


	3. 3

The rays of sunshine peaked through the stark white blinds. A half shadow was cast across the face of the room's two occupants. One was sleeping in an uncomfortable looking position in a chair. The other was sleeping stiffly in a completely white bed, save the pale green blanket that was over his feet. The person in the chair held one of the hands that belonged to the person in the bed firmly.

Angela Montenegro stood in the doorway of room 419. A smile was on her face, although it was a sad one. Any other time had she caught her two friends like this she would've given them a round of teasing like no other. But under the circumstances, that wouldn't be necessary…and it would totally be inappropriate.

Angela, like Brennan, had been moved by Booth's appearance. The normally confident, strong agent was now repressed into a weak, pale man. And her best friend didn't look any better. Brennan's countenance was pale, and tear tracks were stained on her face from the night before, or who knows, that morning. Large, dark circles were underneath her eyes and her body sagged with exhaustion, even as she slept.

Quietly, Angela crossed the room and put her hand on Brennan's shoulder. She had to get her out of that position or epic back and neck pains would be the result.

Brennan's cerulean blue eyes looked up at her and Angela almost staggered back. That was not the Brennan she was used to. Emotions like these did not come from Temperance Elizabeth Brennan easily. But there they were, plain as day. Angela's heart broke.

"Hey sweetie," she said.

"Hi Ange," Brennan said tiredly.

"How's he doing?" Angela asked. Brennan shrugged.

"He's the same as last night," was her response. Brennan withdrew her hand from Booth and wiped the sleep from her eyes. Angela looked from Booth and Brennan and sighed.

"I'll go get you some coffee," Angela said. She put a hand on Brennan's shoulder before she silently left the room in search of caffeine.

"Good morning Booth," Brennan whispered. She slipped her hand back into her partners. His fingers were no longer cold, but mildly warm. His color had regained somewhat, but he still looked worse for wear.

It hadn't been long after Angela left that Brennan felt the fingers beneath hers twitch. She sat upright in her chair and looked down at his hand. They were still. Had she imagined it? Did she want him awake so bad that her conscience had tricked her sense of feeling?

There it was again.

"Booth?" Brennan whispered softly. His finger twitched again.

"Seeley, can you hear me?" she asked, gripping his hand a little tighter. She looked from his hand up to the rhythmic motion his chest was making, up to his face and she gasped.

His eyes met hers.

"B-ones?" Booth rasped. His voice was raspy from the tube they had down his throat during his surgery. Brennan immediately grabbed the cup of water from his bedside table and put it up to his lips and slowly let him drink the clear liquid.

"Hey Bones," he said again. He smiled slightly and Brennan fell back into her chair.

"Hey Seeley," she whispered. A flood of emotions ran through her body and she almost felt lightheaded. She felt her eyes burn as the tears gathered.

"Don't cry Temperance," Booth whispered. He took his hand from hers and put it on her cheek. Brennan moved her cheek into his palm.

"You just…you almost…you could've died!" she finally got out. Her voice was at a low level, but that didn't keep the anger out of it. Seeley winced at her tone. She definitely wasn't happy with him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she hissed. She knew she shouldn't be giving him flack for his actions at that particular moment, but she couldn't help it.

"She would've killed you, Bones," Booth said, looking his partner in the eye. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if she had killed you." A tear slipped down her face.

"And you think I could've lived if you had died saving me?" she asked. She shook her head.

"I'm glad you're awake," she said after a moment of silence. There were so many thoughts running through her head that she wanted to say, but she didn't…couldn't. _I think I may believe in your 'God' now. I'm glad you're safe. I love you. _

"Me too Bones, me too," Booth said. "What happened?" Brennan took a deep breath and looked down at the side of his bed.

"She shot you and you went down. I picked up your gun that you had dropped and shot her. She's dead," Brennan said. "They rushed you to the hospital and put you in emergency surgery. You flat lined twice before they could keep you stable. Obviously you got through the surgery okay, though."

"Temperance," Booth said. Her head snapped up and her eyes met his almost instantly. Her name had _never_ been said like that before; so compassionately…so loving.

"You did the right thing," he said to her. Her tears fell quicker down her face and Booth tried his best to wipe them away.

"I've never felt that way before. When she shot you…I was just so angry. I didn't shoot her because she was going to shoot me. I shot her because I thought she had killed you," Brennan all but whispered.

Booth went to say something, but he was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal from the doorway. Angela crossed the room and put down the two cups of steaming coffee in her hand before hugging Booth gently.

"You're awake!" she said. Booth smiled.

"Yeah, I am," he said. Angela let him go and stood back. She looked at Brennan, who quickly wiped the tears from her face and stood.

"I'll be back," she said. She left the room, keenly aware of the four eyes on her retreating figure. Out in the hallway, she flipped out her phone and dialed Rebecca's number.

"Hello?"

"Hi Rebecca," Brennan said. "I was just calling to let you know Seeley is awake now." Rebecca let out a breath.

"Thank God. I was just getting Parker into the bath. After he's done, we'll be on our way," she said.

"Okay," said Temperance. They said their goodbyes and Brennan flipped her phone shut. She looked at the wooden door that stood in front of her. Sighing, she slid down the wall and sat there.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there, staring at the door, but finally it moved and Angela stepped out.

"What are you doing out here sweetie?" she asked. Brennan shook her head.

"I'm glad he's awake. And I'm glad he'll be okay. Really, I can't express in words how happy I am," she said. "But I can't be in there right now." Angela frowned slightly before she joined Brennan. She was quiet. When her friend wanted to talk, she would. But until then, she would be there for moral support.

"I was so close to losing him last night. And if I had, I don't know what I would've done," Brennan said finally. "It made me rethink a lot of things, a lot of my beliefs. And it scares me."

"But it's for the better, right?" Angela asked.

"I think it is. I don't really know. I've never felt this way before," Brennan replied. "I'm happy, angry, relieved, and confused at the same time. I don't know what to do."

"That's one hell of a combination, sweetie," Angela said. A small chuckle emerged from the woman beside her. "But really, some advice?" Brennan turned her head to look at Angela.

"Sometimes in order to face your true feelings you have to be scared. You have to be angry, or confused. You have to doubt yourself. But in the end, everything will right itself," Angela said.

"Thanks Ange," Brennan said softly. Angela smiled at her friend.

"Not a problem sweetie. Now, go get your man," she said. She smiled as Brennan laughed and the two of them got up. As Angela walked down the hallway, Brennan turned back to the wooden door.

_"Time to face the music."_

(TBC)

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Well, I have to say I am still surprised. I didn't think something that randomly popped into my head in Biology class would turn to this. 59 reviews in two chapters? Let me say…dayyyyyum! Thanks guys!

I'm putting this at its end around Friday night. Yeah, a chapter a day. So, only two left!


	4. 4

Sitting in a hospital bed was absolutely annoying. Booth itched to move around, stretch his legs, do something. But he wasn't aloud. The doctors said his body needed to rest. He had been under tremendous stress in the past seventy-two hours.

_Pshh. I've taken more than this in Iraq._

Those words had been spoken to his partner when she had been there earlier that day. In fact, she had just left. It was the first time since she got here with him and the ambulance. Of course, Booth had to convince her that he would be fine, and she wouldn't leave until then. But finally, he succeeded.

_Yes! Victory is mine!_

It wasn't that he didn't want her here. On the contrary, he loved every second she was with him, even under the conditions of the time being. She brightened his day, especially in a boring and dreary hospital.

But really, she needed to take some time for herself. She had been put through hell in the past three days. Honest to goodness hell, and he knew it. And he couldn't bring himself to be selfish enough to not send her home so she could get some proper rest. It hurt him to see how much she was ignoring her needs for his. While he appreciated it greatly, and loved that she cared that much about him, he also understood that it wasn't such a Temperance Brennan thing to do.

Still, the fact that she stayed for him, cried for him, feared for him, reassured that maybe she could return his affections. Just maybe…

Coming within an inch away from death and sitting in a hospital bed could make a guy think about some stuff. Especially when there was absolutely _nothing_ on TV.

The blinds to Booth's room were down, so the streetlights wouldn't bother him. The volume on the TV was muted, though the actions of the small cartoons still flashed on the screen. Booth lay in his bed, seemingly staring at the small metal sink that was on the other side of the room. On the inside, he was thinking.

Temperance Brennan.

She was the source of his daydreaming. Well, not necessarily daydreaming, but stoic thought. What could he say about her?

She was a _complete_ genius.

She was incredibly stubborn.

She was marvelously gorgeous.

She was his partner…his best friend…his confident…his shoulder to lean on…his everything.

He was head over heels, ass over teakettle, in love with her. There was no denying it. She drove him batty at times with her stubborn ways about things and her insistent digs on his religion, but nonetheless he was in love with her. He loved everything about her; Her clueless nature about pop culture, her persnickety ways about a crime scene, her thorough work on a case, her everything. The way her eyes lit up when she actually got a pop reference made him laugh like he never had before. The way she bit her lip when she was thinking or when she came across a difficulty in what she was doing was absolutely adorable. The way she fussed over him sometimes when he was down or the way she defended him to people made him smile that she cared enough for him.

She trusted him. She let him into her heart, into her life. And she trusted him not to break her like all the others. That took immense courage.

He trusted her. He let her into his heart, and into his life. He let her be a part of his son's life. He trusted her to not screw him over like others had done.

And maybe…just maybe…she might feel the same way. He occasionally saw the way her eyes lit up when he walked in the room. He saw the looks she gave him when she thought he wasn't looking. The way she looked at him in the court room during her father's trial was enough to send him over the edge. She invited him to breakfast with her father and brother on Saturdays. She fixed macaroni and cheese for him when he asked her to, or when she wanted to really. Maybe…

He remembered the slight frown that had appeared on her face when he mentioned his time in Iraq. He knew she didn't like how it had affected him. But really, he was fine! There was only a slight twinge when he moved his right arm, or when he took a deep breath there was only a trivial pain in his chest.

He could hear Bones now.

_You're not supposed to get up until those things are gone. You shouldn't feel them, no matter if you took it in Iraq. This is not Iraq, nor is it the army. You will stay in the hospital until you are deemed healthy enough to leave. _

He snorted.

And she says she wouldn't make a good mother.

Sitting there, he switched his focus from the small dent in the side of the faucet to the amusing cartoons running around inside the TV. He had to give it up, he was bored out of his mind without Bones there with him.

And he wasn't going to lie. He hated hospitals beyond belief. Almost as much has he hated clowns. Sighing, he looked at the clock. It was a quarter till eleven. He figured that she should get some sleep. Flipping the TV off, he tried to get comfortable even though there weren't many positions he could sleep in due to his chest and shoulder area.

_Oh well. _

He closed his eyes and let the sleepy feeling overcome the rest of his senses. The last thing he thought of was his partner's cerulean blue eyes.

_"Oh Bones, you have no idea how much I love you."_

(TBC)

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Right so, that was short. With the AN, it's only three pages.

BUT! I felt it was a necessary thing to see Booth's feelings. And I didn't want to make it too sappy, or too…icky. I thought it was okay anyway. Who knows?

Tomorrow will be the last chapter. And then only two days until the next Bones! Wahh-whoooo!


	5. 5

She felt like an idiot. A _huge_ idiot. But honestly, she didn't really care. It was Booth. And she would do anything for him.

Standing in front of his room door, Brennan looked down at the plastic bag in her hand. It hadn't been that difficult to smuggle the tapioca pudding and apple pie from the diner into the hospital surprisingly. She shook her head before opening the door.

"Hey Bones!" Booth called out happily. She smiled at the sound of his voice.

"Hi Booth," she said. "I got you a present." She was at the foot of his bed now, looking at her partner who looked a thousand times better than what he had a week earlier.

"What'd you get me?" he asked.

"Well, since you can leave tomorrow, I figured you could celebrate with some pudding and pie from the diner," Brennan said. Booth's grin grew impeccably larger as she handed him the bag.

"Thanks Bones!" he said. "The hospital food is killing me…except for the pudding of course." She smiled at him and took her normal seat next to his bed.

"You're welcome," she said. "How are you feeling today?"

"Fine, I guess. It doesn't hurt to breath anymore at least," he said. He held up his pie which he had started to eat. "Want some?"

"No thanks," she said. "I don't-" she was cut off.

"Really like pie, I know," Booth said, smiling at his partner. "How, I don't know." Brennan shrugged.

"It's too sweet," she said.

"Well how do you know this pie is too sweet? It could be just perfect," Booth said. Brennan smiled.

"Its pie Booth, it's all the same," she said. Booth sighed.

"All right, if you say so," he replied. "Hey, have you ever seen The Goonies?" Brennan shook her head.

"Watch it with me," Booth said, pointing to the TV.

It was more than halfway through the movie when Brennan had taken to observing her partner rather than the TV screen. It had been a good movie, but her partner was better to look at.

He was smiling and laughing like nothing had ever happened. His spirits hadn't been put down from his least favorite place in the world. He had pie, and pudding, and he was happy. Brennan breathed a sigh of relief. She would be getting him back tomorrow. Granted, he wouldn't be doing field work for a while, but she would still get him back.

The past week had been an emotional rollercoaster for her. She was relieved he was okay. She was angry at him for what he did. She felt responsible for the fact that he was in the hospital. You name the emotion; she had more than likely felt it. And she cried. She _never_ cried. She didn't cry when her parents left her. She didn't cry when Russ had gone. She didn't cry when she had been shuffled from foster home to foster home. _Nothing_. But she balled when her partner was shot. And she couldn't stop.

"Hey, Bones," Booth said. "What's up?" She was staring at him with an almost forlorn look on her face. Tears were in the corner of her eyes. He _hated_ to see her cry.

"I was just thinking Booth," Brennan said after a long pause.

"About what?" he asked. They hadn't honestly gotten to talk that much about how they felt about the shooting.

"You. What I would've done had I lost you," she said. She needed to get this out to him. It was almost killing her inside. She hadn't slept for a week because of it.

"But you didn't," he said. "So don't think about that. I'm okay."

"Yes, you are. You're more than okay," she said. "But I can't help thinking about it." Booth frowned.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because I have so much to say to you. And what if you had…died. I wouldn't ever get to tell you," Brennan said.

"Tell me now," Booth said. "I'm all ears."

"I don't know what that means," Brennan said. Booth laughed.

"It means I'm listening to you," he said. His partner was silent for a while. He could practically see the wheels in her head turning.

"I love you," she said finally. "I love everything about you. I love your alpha male tendencies. I love the way you put your hand on my back. I love your charm smile. I love your stubbornness. I love your loyalty. Everything, Booth. I love everything."

It was not what he expected from her. But it wasn't an unwelcome statement.

"I love you too Bones," he said.

"And I would have never gotten to tell you that had you died. And it's the first time I've said that to anyone," Brennan said.

"I promised you I would never leave you, Bones," Booth said. "And I won't. I love you too much." It was only a second before her lips were on his. She teased him gently before meeting his tongue with hers.

He had no problem reciprocating.

And as Brennan kissed him, she smiled. She could taste the distinct aftertaste of apples. They weren't too sweet, and they weren't too dull. Maybe she could get used to pie after all.

(TBC)

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Yes, this was supposed to be up yesterday. Sorry about that. Midnight bowling and not going to bed until 5 a.m. makes it almost impossible to function. But here it is. The last chapter. But hey! Bones is on tomorrow night! YAYYYYY!

Thanks to everyone who read this. I appreciate it.


End file.
